Language pedagogy and linguistics

This paper reviews issues presented in an earlier article of mine on the potential of language awareness (LA) as a methodology in foreign language teaching and teacher training (Borg, 1994) and attempts to clarify the relationship between LA in this sense and the theoretical study of linguistics. Prompted by the claim that LA, as I discussed it, is inherently inconsistent (Rastall, this issue), I reaffirm that this approach to developing an awareness of the language in both students and teacher trainees is underlined by sound linguistic, educational and psychological principles. It is argued that LA as methodology does not reject the theoretical groundwork linguistics carries out, but that, given its predominantly pedagogical focus, it needs to be firmly grounded in the reality of the learning situation, rather than in the theoretical models linguistics provides. The paper also reflects on the relationship between linguistic theory and language pedagogy, and argues for the need for a collaborative rather than antagonistic rapport between linguists and language educators.